Agatha Christie - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd By: Agatha...

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd By: Agatha Cristie “The chains of habit. We work to attain an object, and the object gained, we find that what we miss is the daily toll. And mark you, monsieur, my work was interesting work. The most interesting work there is in the world.” [pg. 26] Everyone can relate to what this passage means in some sense. People have goals they want to achieve, and others just enjoy “the chase”. One of my friends is always going after a new boyfriend. Once she attains this Prince Charming and she has him wrapped around her finger, she moves on because it was like a game to her, that she has won. You get used to trying to attain your objective and once you do, there’s nothing left for some people and they turn to the next target. Most of the fun of trying to accomplish something is the time in the middle spent working for it. “My ideas were completely upset. I could not see Ackroyd taking a hairdresser into his confidence, and discussing the marriage of his niece and stepson with him. Ackroyd extends a genial patronage to the lower orders, but he has a very great sense of his own dignity. I began to think that Porrott couldn’t be a hairdresser after all.” Confusion, betrayal, things aren’t what they seem, things being hidden from you. [pg. 29] I remember a time in my life when confusion took over and I felt puzzled about virtually everything to do with friendship. I didn’t know who to trust, who not to trust, or who to turn to to help me decide. Just as Mr. Ackroyd feels, I have my own sense of dignity and independence, and I have a gift of being able to count on myself. The narrator is feeling betrayed and confused, because things aren’t as they seem. The reader is led to believe Mr. Ackroyd his taking a hairdresser into his confidence, but it doesn’t end up to be a hairdresser at all.

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